A brain tumour is a growth of cells that multiplies in an “abnormal” way inside the brain, according to the NHS.
The tumours are graded by how fast they grow and the likelihood of them growing back after treatment such as medication, surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Grade 1 and 2 tumours are classed as “low grade”, and grade 3 and 4 tumours are “high grade”.
Catch our very own Phoebe on the @BBCBreakfast sofa this morning celebrating the life of the inspiring Laura Nuttall. If you missed it, you can catch up here: https://t.co/6A7ARtA4Hk#BeMoreLaura
— The Brain Tumour Charity (@BrainTumourOrg) May 23, 2023
What are the different types of brain tumours?
The NHS says there are two main types of brain tumours:
- non-cancerous (benign) brain tumours – these are low grade (grade 1 or 2), which means they grow slowly and are less likely to return after treatment
- cancerous (malignant) brain tumours – these are high grade (grade 3 or 4) and either start in the brain (primary tumours) or spread into the brain from elsewhere (secondary tumours); they're more likely to grow back after treatment
The NHS also says brain tumours can affect people of any age, including children but they tend to be more common in older adults.
Symptoms of brain cancer
The symptoms of a brain tumour can vary depending on what part of the brain is affected, reports the NHS.
Common symptoms include:
- headaches
- seizures (fits)
- persistently feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting) and drowsiness
- mental or behavioural changes, such as memory problems or changes in personality
- progressive weakness or paralysis on one side of the body
- vision or speech problems
Although having some of these symptoms may not mean you have a brain tumour, it’s important to note that if you have any concerns you should see a GP.
You can also visit the Cancer Research UK website for more information and advice about brain cancer.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel